Diwata Kalago
Early Life Diwata Kalago was born April 12th, 2366 to Manny Kalago and Winfry C. Kalago in the Southern Philippine town of Bienvenido Latag. She grew up in the middle class part of town, and was an only child. Bienvenido Latag was a rural village high in the mountains. Despite the town being very close to the equator its mountain status kept the temperature at a cool level. Growing up in poverty, Dana was used to hardships and the term "not enough to eat." The only solace she find from her hard childhood were reading Federation propaganda books detailing the "exploits" of Mobile Infantry campaigns and expeditions. Despite this she was never truly a "fanatic" focusing more on her school work and the real world, but the idea of joining the Mobile Infantry always stuck in her head. After the miscarriages of 2 children the relationship between her parents deteriorated rapidly, they were left bitter and rarely talked or even acknowledged each other. Only 12, Diwata was seemingly thrown away by her parents, their hatred for each other clouding their love of their daughter. She started to frequently leave her house, staying over at friends, and other relatives. Her grades started to suffer soon enough, the constant B's and occasional A's soon became F's and D's. Due to this she was put in the last class during middle school graduation, the only girl at the ceremony who could be seen crying. During her Middle School career she still continued to be a mediocre student, only during her second year did her relationship between her parents begin to reform. Her grades started to gradually improve, and her social life flourished, finally finding a balace between her parents, grades, and friends. But during the middle of her Third Year a bomb went off in the village bazaar, a revived Muslim extremist group known as Abu Syaaf which was thought to be eradicated by the Filipino National Army, with the help of American Forces in the year 2021 had been biding their time in the mountain side until they were ready to strike again claimed responsibility for the bombings. From that moment on the little village became a living hell. Police from all over the country flooded into the region but they were powerless to roadside IEDs, snipers, and ambushes. The kidnappings, bombings, and terror continued. Life halted to a stand still, the streets empty, and the bazaar and markets left idle. Then the Mobile Infantry deployed into the area. The 957th "Franks Filipinos" led by Captain Frank Hernandez who vowed to crush the insurgency, which some would view as ironic considering the fact that Captain Hernandez was part Arabic and Muslim himself. From that day forward the gunfire from the Mobile Infantry artillery and guns wouldn't cease, relentless pounding suspected Abu Syaaf positions. Though the death toll in the 957th was increasing, with Syaaf's ambushes and IEDs becoming more deadly every time they attacked. Knowing that life here was no longer safe her parents started to have money wired to their account from their relatives in America so Diwata could leave the country. Diwata arrived in America a month before a massive campaign was to be set in motion by the 987th in order to completly route Syaaf's forces. She went to stay with her Uncle his wife, and three of her cousins in San Diego, California. Her stint in San Diego was brief, only spending a week in the city before moving to Orlando, Florida. Diwata loved staying with her Aunt, and her two daughters in Florida. The heat and neat tidy rows of green grass all cut at precisely the same height was a stark contrast to the cold, and damp climate of her old home. Though it wasn't perfect, being from a poor mountain village the culture shock of America's fast paced, and rambunctious life style hit her hard. She barely spoke english and was given the moniker, "fob" by other students in her school. Though the small amount of friends she had called her "Dana" as Diwata sounded odd, and too foreign. During the middle of her freshmen year she recieved a call from her Uncle in San Diego, her parents had died. The fighting in her village had heated up, and most of the village had been bombed or destroyed in the heavy crossfire between the Mobile Infantry and Abu Syaaf. Dana was distraught, she spent hours in her room alone to only come out for brief stints to either get food or use the bathroom. For the rest of her Freshman year she stayed quiet, always looking down and never showing a sign of happiness. The initial depression passed and by the begining of Sophmore year she was back to herself talking, and laughing with friends. After graduating from high school Diwata soon left home and moved into a small apartment in the city. Though despite her time in America, she still felt lost in the Country she had grown to love and was never comfortable with the fact that she left her parents to die. Dana began to work several jobs, and answer work adds in the newspaper trying to scrape by a living in her now home. She didn't have enough money for college, and her bank account was running out quickly. Several weeks later of the same jobs, and paying bills and she was bankrupt. With the reality of being on the streets staring her in the face she packed her things, moved out, and stood outside the nearest Mobile Infantry Recruiting Station building up the nerve to enter. Military Life 'Fort Benning, Georgia' Dana was sent north, to Fort Benning, Georgia to begin basic training as a soldier of the Federation. Immeadiatly the brutal dicipline of the drill instructors, and the cruelty of the training itself bothered her to a great extent. As the training went on the faults of the Mobile Infantry started to become painfully obvious to her. The poor quality of training, the habit of Drill Instructors to use excessive force which often led to injury, how under equipped the battle dress was, and the Moritta rifle itself. A large, unwieldy and bulky rifle that fired 20th century rounds, an under-barrel shotgun that was close to useless, and how absurdly big the rifle is prohibiting easy manuvering in close quarters. Though despite all those nights contemplating signing form 12-40-A, and walking down "wash-out lane" she never did, fully aware that she had no other alternatives. As she went on pouring sweat, tears, and occaisionaly blood on the training fields she felt the civilian leave her, slowly beinging replaced by the soldier; a process which would never quite sit well for her for the rest of her life. After finishing Basic Training, her application for Medical Field Training was accepted. The next 4 months would consist of gruelling lectures, simulated scenarios, and several "crash courses" into the intricacies of the human anotomy and it's several hundred reactions to bullet wounds, burns, lacerations and a plethora of injures Dana could of only imagined before she was educated in their treatment. Though she did find solace in the changed enviorment, welcoming the droning of a professor on the treatment of "stomach ulcers caused bullet wounds, and their remedy" as opposed to the yells, screams, and extremly energetic feel of bootcamp. During brief pauses inbetween lectures, and simulations Dana was free to think about everything that's happened to her and try to find comfort in her decisions. Then the day came, after finishing her final medical test which consisted of a Multiple Choice, a writing section where she had to write 20 solutions to common battlefield injuries, and finally a simulated battlefield experience using real people which lasted 5 days Dana graduated 4th in her class. She was now a certified Mobile Infantry Medic. '77th "Fruits" Mobile Infantry Battalion' Despite joining the Mobile Infantry Diwata had hoped that she would be put in a support role instead of being in the AQZ, fighting on the front lines. Her hopes were shattered. She was transfered to the AFC-BC 117 Audie Murphy, and into the 77th Fruits. In her eyes, her life span had just been drastically reduced. She immediatly befriended Lt. Nick Wolf, becoming a close friend. On one of her first deployments she was mortally wounded by a skinny mortar, coming close to dying if not for October Sylvestry. After that her and October would be very close friends, especially for Dana. Though for her first few deployments her medical papers hadn't been verified so it wouldn't be until later when she would be instated as one of the 77th's medical personel. Then came Operation Blue Eagle, an experience that would have a profound effect on her life and mentallity about the MI. The extreme combat on the sruface on Brisch would be Dana's first taste of extreme combat. The sleepless nights, the constant sound gunfire and explosions and the ever present threats of Skinny Starnaughts infiltrating and the memories of the entire ordeal would be etched into her mind forever. A few weeks later the 77th was disbanded and she was transfered to the 577th EC Battalion. '557th "EC" Mobile Infantry Battalion' Her time in the 577th was the lowest point in her military career, she hated every moment of it there. But her stint there was brief, and most of it was forgetable. [[112th Hercules|'112th "Hercules" Mobile Infantry Battalion']] After learning that the 112th was looking for soldiers, she filed a request form and it was quickly accepted. She was transfered much to her suprise to the AFC-BC Audie Murphy, and back with the old members of the 77th along with some old faces. Though, she felt ill at ease immediatly. The new Lieutenant, Burvelle, and his style of command and his new procedures did not resonate well with her, and with most of her old friend either dead, or discharged she was alone. She would try to connect with the others but still felt distant not able to make any new friendships. This self isolation would continue, to the point where she contemplated suicide feeling no more motivation, and the Federation's faults becoming more clear to her. Then came Dyer, Dana became infatuated with him, starting a relationship with him. While she continued on, recieving the rank of Corporal, and officially becoming the head of medical operation on the field. Then she embarked on a campaign which would rival Blue Eagle, and come closer to death than ever before. Dana soon become more and more intimate with Dyer, though his transfer to the 112th's other companies seperated them and soon began to put a strain on their relationship. During a routine supply check in the medical storage area a disturbing though had struck her. her period was late by 2 weeks. Thinking it was just a late ovulation she ignored it until a few days later when she started experiencing first stage pregnancy symptoms. One pregnancy test later and it was done, she tested positive. Fearing the worst she kept it a secret until she couldn't hide it any longer and confessed to Dyer. Though she will never know how he did it, he managed to convince Wittman to give them both honorable discharge papers, and they we're sent home. Kalago